Ari Marks, a senior distance runner from Wellesley College, was named the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for Track & Field as announced today by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

Marks is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DIII Honda Athlete of the Year. This will be voted on at the end of the academic year by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of THE CWSA program, now in its 46th year.

“I feel deeply honored to be selected as a finalist for this award,” said Marks. “I am incredibly grateful to everyone who helped me get here because I certainly could not have accomplished any of this on my own.  That includes my team, who challenged and supported me every day in practice; the staff in the athletic training room, who worked diligently with me to treat and prevent running injuries; my assistant coach Annie, whose professional running career has served as a continuous inspiration to me; and most of all, my coach Phil Jennings, whose strategic training and passionate coaching led me to two national titles.”

Most recently, Marks was named the 2022 NCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field National Athlete of the Year from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). At the 2022 NCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field Championship, she completed the distance double winning the 5000 meter with a near-11 second victory and triumphing in the 10,000 meters by a 27-second margin to capture both national championships. Her winning time in the 5000 moved her up to No. 4 all-time on the NCAA DIII chart.

During the regular season, Marks went nearly undefeated in both events and won both at the DIII New England Outdoor Championships.

Off the track, she is a two-time NEWMAC Academic All-Conference performer and earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.

“We are so excited for Ari and for her to be recognized as the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for track & field,” head coach Phil Jennings said. “This is an acknowledgment of her unwavering dedication and focused training over the past few years combined with her grit and determination racing on the track. She has been a humble ambassador for Wellesley, our program and the sport and I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with Ari and so proud of who she has become."

All Honda Sports nominees from DIII and DII become a finalist for the prestigious 2022 Honda Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 27, 2022, in downtown Los Angeles. The Honda Award finalists are recognized in 11 DIII and DII NCAA-sanctioned sports; cross country, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, and track & field.

The CWSA, entering its 46th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.  

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility

For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.